


Not Your Wingman

by mdelpin



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, Child Death, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Eventual Happy Ending, FTLGBTales, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mistakes, One Night Stands, Surrogacy, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-04-25 07:19:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14373729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin
Summary: Gray finally worked up the nerve to confess to his crush of three years but things didn't go as he expected. If he were to get another chance with the man that he loves, would he tell him off or would he find it in his heart  to forgive him for the past?*Third chapter has been modified to incorporate feedback.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For SilveWhiteDragon - we met through our mutual love of Gray/Natsu and you have turned into a really amazing friend. Thank you so much for all the silly chats, music recommendations, random beta requests, and for your enthusiasm about any crazy thing I suggest. You’re awesome and I’m really happy to be able to call you my friend.

Disclaimer: All Fairy Tail Characters Belong to Hiro Mashima

 

**Not Your Wingman**

“Come on you gotta come. It won’t be any fun without you.” Gray cajoled over the phone.

“Gray, my friend, I appreciate the invitation but I need to study. I have a test next week.”, Natsu replied in his slightly formal manner of speaking. 

Gray loved his accent, hell he loved everything about the pink haired male, but he had no idea how Natsu felt about him and he’d been too much of a coward to ask directly. He knew it was an absolute cliche but as much as he wanted something more to develop between them he was too afraid of destroying the friendship they had painstakingly developed over the years. He didn’t even know if Natsu was into guys but after almost three years of crushing on him Gray was done with pining. He was going to make his move. They had only one year left before Natsu had to return to Japan and Gray was determined not to waste it.

Lucy had been the one to finally convince him to act. She was a great friend. Gray had briefly dated her in high school but had quickly realized there was no chemistry between them and soon after accepted he was gay. They had remained friends over the years and had gone on to attend the same college. They had both met Natsu in their English class their freshman year and had instantly connected with him.

Natsu occasionally would get frustrated by what he called the English language’s arbitrary rules. When he did he would resort to speaking Japanese to express his displeasure. Gray loved when Natsu got flustered. It was very sexy.

In many ways Natsu Dragneel was a mystery to Gray. Gray knew Natsu was from Japan and attending university in the States on a student visa. As an only child he was expected to return home and help run the business and eventually take it over. 

Natsu’s family was very wealthy so he did not live in the dorms like Gray and Lucy. He lived by himself in a huge penthouse apartment that his family owned. He drove around in a sports car that had been a present from his father, it probably cost more than their entire college education. He took his studies very seriously, rarely joining his friends on their frequent nights out. He much preferred to meet for coffee on his way to the library or if he was feeling extremely sociable he would agree to go out to dinner followed by a movie. In all the time Gray had known him Natsu had never dated anyone which was the biggest reason Gray had no idea what his friend was into. Gray had not really wanted to date anyone in that time afraid he might miss his chance if he did. 

“Natsu, you study all the time. You need to take a break. Part of going to college is having fun, besides I need you to drive.”

“Ah, the real reason you wish me to go comes out.” Natsu chuckled, “I could drop you off at this club, go to the library, and pick you back up when you’re ready.”

“No, that’s no good.” Gray said, “I need a wingman.”

“What’s this wingman?” Natsu asked puzzled. Gray could almost visualize his friend’s wrinkled brow as he said those words.

“It’s someone to protect me from unwanted attention.” Gray explained as best as he could knowing Natsu still had a lot of trouble understanding slang. 

“So I am to stop women from approaching you?” Natsu asked confused, “I thought you wished to do what you call the hooking up?”

“No, Natsu. I want to go out with my friends and have fun not do the hooking up.” Gray chuckled, amused at his friend’s attempt to use slang, “You are one of my friends so that automatically includes you. Come on, you said your test is not until next week, you could study the rest of the weekend.” 

Gray heard a pause on the other line. “Gray, I must go. My father is calling on the other line.”

Before he could protest the connection was terminated. What was he going to do now? He had already worked up his nerve. He called Lucy.

“Hey, did you get him to agree to go?”, Lucy asked.

“No, he said he had to study and before I could push him he got a call from his father.” Gray complained.

“Well, I hope that call goes better than their last one.” Lucy confided, “They had a huge fight and he was devastated for days.”

“Wait, what? He never told me anything about that.” Gray said with alarm.

“You know how he is, I just caught him moping at the Student Centre and asked him about it.” Lucy reassured him, “He didn’t actually tell me what the fight was about though.”

Gray’s call waiting rang and he looked to see that Natsu was calling him back. “I’ll call you back Lucy, Natsu’s on the other line.”

“Go get him tiger!” Lucy encouraged him. “Just text me if he’s going so I can start getting ready.” She had promised to go for moral support.

Gray hung up with her and quickly switched to the other line. “Hey Natsu!” Gray answered.

“Hello Gray, I would be happy to join you this evening. What time should I pick you up?” Natsu asked. Gray thought that he sounded tense.

“Eight o’clock is fine.” Gray replied wondering what had happened on the phone call to both change Natsu’s mind and make him upset, “Oh and Lucy will join us there.”

“Alright, I will see you then.” Natsu got the rest of the details from Gray and hung up to get ready.

Gray texted Lucy the news. He looked at his watch, it was already 6:30. He jumped in the shower thankful that for once he did not have to fight his roomate for it. Loke had already left for his date with his flavor of the month. He was not planning on being back until Sunday evening so Gray had the room to himself all weekend. He was glad for that because he didn’t think he could handle his roommate's good natured teasing. He was the only other person who knew about his crush on Natsu. 

Gray tried not to think of what was at stake if things went badly, he was nervous enough as it was. If everything went well he would have his answer tonight one way or the other. If he was rejected then he could come back and mope by himself but he didn’t want to think of that possibility unless he absolutely had to. He played some music to soothe his nerves as he got dressed, trying to make himself look as attractive as he was able. He put on the outfit that Lucy had helped him pick out earlier that day. He grabbed some gel and spiked his hair up. He wore cologne, something he rarely did and hoped that Natsu liked it. Soon it was 8:00 and Gray made his way outside the building to wait for Natsu to pick him up. He didn’t have long to wait before he saw Natsu’s flashy car enter the dorm’s parking lot.

Gray quickly got into the passenger seat and gave Natsu the name of the club so he could plug it into his GPS. Gray peered over at his friend curious as to what he would wear for a night out at a club and had to quickly gaze away so that Natsu did not see his reaction. 

They reached the club fairly quickly and Natsu used the valet parking which gave them immediate access over the people waiting in line. They entered the club and made their way to the bar. Gray checked Natsu out shamelessly as he walked in front of him. He was wearing a black V-neck t-shirt layered over a white undershirt. Over the shirt he wore an open gray vest which he paired with a pair of blue skinny jeans and a thin white belt that brought your attention to his hips. He was wearing a silver chain around his neck with some sort of sword pendant. He looked amazing and Gray wished he could tell him so. 

They got some drinks at the bar and made their way to a table. “So this is what American clubs are like.” Natsu said while looking around, “I’ve never been to one before.”

“Well, you don’t go out very much.” 

“No, I don’t. I worked hard to make my father proud.” Natsu said, his tone once again tense but also laced with sadness. “I regret that now.”

“Is everything alright? You seem tense.” Gray asked as he sipped his drink.

“Yes, I just had some news from my father.” Natsu said, “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Ok.” Gray said, “Do you want to dance?” 

“How about we finish our drinks and get out of here.” Natsu said as he looked at Gray, “Maybe you can help me forget, if only for tonight.”

“Forget?” Gray looked at his friend with concern, “Natsu, what are you---”

“Tell me something Gray” Natsu interrupted as he reached out to cup Gray’s face with his hand, “Do you find me attractive?”

“W-what?” Gray was flustered by Natsu’s sudden straightforwardness, this was not at all going the way he’d expected. He had never seen this assertive side of Natsu before. It was very attractive. He imagined maybe this what he was like back at home. He was the son of a high profile wealthy businessman, he was probably used to getting anything he wanted.

“Because I think you do.” Natsu continued, his olive green eyes looked at Gray with an expression that was almost hungry, “I saw the way you were looking at me in the car.”

Gray was about to deny it but realized how stupid that would be, “What of it? Does that bother you?” He grabbed the hand that was touching his face and kissed it before letting it go.

“Not at all, I had often hoped it was so. I just thought I would have more time.” Natsu said as he smiled sadly at Gray and traced the outline of his face.

“Natsu--” Gray began only to be interrupted again as Natsu’s hand moved from his face to the back of his head and pulled him in roughly for a kiss. The kiss was demanding but Gray would not give in so easily. When Natsu’s warm tongue forced its way into Gray’s mouth hungrily his own tongue was ready for battle. He could feel his groin tightening at the promise of passion that was implicit in their kiss. 

“No more words.” Natsu said as they separated, “Tonight I am taking something for myself before I’m no longer free to do so. Let’s get out of here.”

Gray did not waste any time thinking about the words Natsu said although he would spend much time pondering them later.They both downed their drinks quickly and Natsu grabbed Gray’s hand and led him back to the entrance. He gave the valet attendant his ticket and waited for his car to be brought back around.

Natsu wasted no time going right back to kissing Gray while they waited. Neither noticed Lucy still standing in line to get in. She wisely chose not to call out to them and she smiled, happy Gray’s plan had worked out. She saw them get into Natsu’s ridiculous car and decided to go back home. She was sure she would get a call from Gray later.

Natsu checked them in to the most expensive hotel in the city and soon they were in the biggest room Gray had ever seen although he was not able to make out too many of the details before Natsu had practically thrown him on the humongous bed and quickly climbed on after him.

Everything was going so fast but Gray never thought to slow it down. He’d been wanting Natsu for three years and while Gray didn’t understand why his friend was acting so impulsive he figured they could talk about it later. He began to moan as Natsu was nibbling and sucking at his collarbone.

“You smell so good.” Natsu groaned , “Did you wear that for me?”

Gray only smirked loving how turned on Natsu sounded. He moved his hand to the bulge in Natsu’s pants and squeezed. “You’re awfully eager. Do you need some help with that?”

“Do you need some help with yours?” Natsu looked at Gray with amusement as he mirrored his actions.

They both laughed until Natsu ground his groin into Gray’s.

“Holy fuck that feels good!” Natsu moaned. “Maybe we should take care of these. I don’t think I’ll last very long at this rate.”

“Me either.” Gray hissed as he moved his hips up to meet his lover’s.

“Enough, I want to see you.” Natsu growled. “Take off your clothes.”

Gray had already finished before Natsu had even taken his shirts off. “Are you one of those college students who work at a strip club for extra money?” Natsu teased as his eyes feasted on Gray’s toned body.

“If I worked at a strip club it would take me longer, dumbass. What I just did is the opposite of sexy.”

“I don’t know, I enjoyed it.” Natsu purred, “Maybe you can dance for me later.”

Gray snorted, “That will not happen, the most you might get, if you’re lucky, is a lap dance.”

Natsu laughed easily as he took the rest of his clothes off until he too was naked. They both stared at each other liking what they saw.

It was Natsu who broke the silence. “I want you.” he said his voice husky with desire, “I’ve wanted you for so long, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before.”

“I could have said something too. I just didn’t know whether you were into guys or not.” Gray said as he kissed Natsu hungrily.

“I’m very much into guys, you in particular\\.” Natsu said as his hands began to explore Gray’s chest until he reached his nipples. He pinched them between his fingers as he continued talking. He ignored Gray’s sharp intakes of breath and his moans. He frotted against Gray some more adding some moans of his own. “I just learned to hide it so as not to embarrass my father.”

Gray nodded losing interest in the conversation. He closed his eyes enjoying the sensations that Natsu was inciting with his hands and his cock and,

“Nnngh” with his mouth. He opened his eyes and looked down to see pink locks as Natsu wrapped his lips around Gray’s erection and sucked the head. He took more and more of Gray’s cock in his mouth and began to bob his head settling on a rhythm that was driving Gray crazy . Natsu grabbed Gray’s hand and put it on his head showing him he could pull his hair if he wanted to. Gray threaded his fingers in that softness pulling a little roughly and loving how Natsu’s moans felt. Gray already felt like he was close to losing control. He wanted this to last, the whole night. So far this felt like the best wet dream he’d ever had and if that was what this was he never wanted to wake up. He saw Natsu stroking himself with his other hand keeping the same rhythm as his hand and mouth. 

“Naaa-tsuuu” Gray moaned. “Oh god, feels so good. You look so hot!”

Gray lost it when Natsu started humming around his cock as he continued to bob and suck, the vibrations were too much stimulation and he came swiftly without being able to warn his partner. Natsu took it in stride and as he had not reached his climax yet Gray returned the favor reveling in Natsu’s noises. At some point he started exclaiming in Japanese which excited Gray even more. He knew Natsu only resorted to Japanese when he was flustered. Too soon Natsu also came and Gray greedily tasted him.

They moved to the bed and lay there looking at each other. They began to kiss again.

“Are you hungry, do you want something to drink?” Natsu asked as he got up briefly to get the room service menu. “Get anything you want, tonight is on my father.”

They ordered large amounts of food and Natsu made a point of ordering two bottles of the most expensive wine they had to go with it. They cuddled on the bed as they waited for the food to arrive.

“Natsu, what is that necklace you’re wearing? I’ve never seen you wear it before.” Gray asked as he lazily trailed Natsu’s chest with his fingers.

“It was a present from my mother.” Natsu smiled as he grabbed the necklace and played with it, “She died when I was young. She said someday I was supposed to give it to someone special and then a part of me would always be with them, just like when she gave it to me. It’s one of the few things I have of hers so I keep it home. I don’t want to lose it.”

“My parents both died in an accident when I was young.” Gray said, “My brother and I were raised by our aunt.”

“Sometimes I wish my father had died too.” Natsu said with more than a hint of anger.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Gray asked worried about what could be bothering Natsu so much.

“No, there will be time enough for that later.” He grabbed a robe and put it on as he went to open the door for room service.

Multiple carts were rolled in and they spent a good half hour feeding each other and trying everything Natsu had ordered to piss his dad off. They were not even using wine glasses. They each had their own bottle they were drinking from. Gray was pretty sure that just one bottle cost as much as all his college books for the year. They were well on their way to getting pretty drunk, laughing hysterically at everything.

“Hey, Gray. How about that lap dance?” Natsu asked with a grin.

“Just how dwunk do you think I am?”

“Dunno. Come here.” Natsu said showing him a small vial.

“Is that lube? Where did you even get that? I’ve been with you the whole time.” Gray asked surprised.

“I asked the concierge for it when I ordered the food.” Natsu dissolved into giggles. “You can get anything you want at a five star hotel.”

“Oh my god, you didn’t?” Gray asked horrified

Natsu laughed even harder holding the vial up triumphantly. He opened it and let some of the viscous liquid coat his fingers. “Come here” he said again as he patted the bed “Wanna make you feel good.”

Gray crawled on the bed trying his best to look seductive but dissolving into giggles of his own.”What did he say?”

“Uhm she actually. She just asked whether I wanted water based or silicone.” Natsu laughed

“And?”

“You have to come here to find out.”

Gray was finally able to coordinate his movements well enough to get to where Natsu was waiting. He lay back and let Natsu prep him. It had been a long time for him but despite being fairly drunk Natsu was gentle and when Natsu grabbed his hand and dragged him with him Gray was more than ready. Natsu sat against the headboard and waited for Gray to give him his lap dance. Gray did not disappoint. He rode Natsu mercilessly until they both couldn’t take it anymore.

They got under the covers and fell asleep in each other’s arms. The next morning Natsu woke up and watched Gray sleep. He took off his necklace and placed it around the other man’s neck. Gray continued to snore loudly.

“I want you to have my necklace, maybe this way a small part of me will always live happy with you.” He felt the tears and let them fall as he thought of the fate that awaited him. “I love you, Gray. I’m sorry it had to be like this. I will remember this night as the only time I was truly happy, it’s the one thing my father will never be able to take away from me.”

“I hope you have a good life and you find someone who makes you happy. I truly wish I could be that for you.” He kissed Gray gently on the lips and carefully got out of the bed. He got dressed and after looking at the man he loved one last time left the hotel room and never looked back.

When Gray woke up hours later he was wearing Natsu’s necklace but the man himself was nowhere to be found. He tried calling Natsu’s phone but there was no answer. He was confused but he got dressed and decided to go to Natsu’s apartment. When he arrived the doorman let him in and he made his way to the security desk.

“I’m here to see Mr. Dragneel.”

“I’m sorry sir, Mr. Dragneel left for Japan this morning. He is not expected back.”

“Oh, thank you.” he said as he left the building and headed back to his dorm.

Those words hit Gray hard. He began to think of all the things Natsu had said, all the hints that he had ignored too preoccupied in his pleasure to notice and then he looked down at the necklace around his neck and he realized, Natsu was never coming back.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All Fairy Tail Characters Belong To Hiro Mashima

Chapter 2

Lucy heard a knock on her door and hurried to answer it . She looked through the peephole and saw Gray standing outside her door. She quickly opened her door, excited to hear about her friend’s night.

He walked in and sat down on her bed only to immediately get up and start pacing. He looked upset. That was certainly not what she’d expected.

“Is everything ok?” she asked confused about what this could mean. Just last night she had seen him kissing the guy he’d been crushing on for the last three years, she had expected him to be a little more excited.

“No, everything is not ok.” Gray yelled angrily. “That son of a bitch used me, Lucy.” 

“What do you mean, he used you?” Lucy looked at her friend more confused than ever.

“He took me to a hotel, had sex with me and then disappeared. What else would you call that?” 

“Gray, are you sure there isn’t something else going on here?” 

“How would I know? The bastard didn’t even see fit to leave a note.” Gray fumed. “At first, I thought maybe he had gone back home to study for his test but when I got there they told me he had left for Japan and was not expected back. What the hell else am I supposed to think?”

“Calm down, think about it. That doesn’t sound like Natsu.” Lucy said and quickly shut up when Gray glared at her. She knew Natsu would never hurt a friend on purpose. “His father must have made him go home for some reason.”

“He could have at least told me he was leaving before I slept with him. Gaaaaaahh!” he groaned in frustration.

Lucy shrugged.”Would you have done something different?” 

Gray looked at her but had no reply to give.

“Look, I don’t know why he left but I’m sure he’ll get in touch with you when he can.” Lucy told Gray firmly. “Now, I want to hear every detail about what happened after you got to the hotel.” Lucy leered at him suggestively trying to get Gray out of his mood. “Let’s go get some ice cream and you can tell me all about your wild night of debauchery.”

“Lucy, I really don’t want to--” Gray started only to be interrupted.

“Nonsense, I’m tired of only living vicariously through Loke. Besides I‘m really curious to hear what Natsu’s like in bed.” Lucy insisted as she dragged her friend to the convenience store to get some ice cream.

‘Lucy’s right’ Gray thought. There had to be an explanation for Natsu’s behavior and soon he would get a call or an email explaining what it was. He waited patiently for a week to hear something, anything from Natsu, but nothing came. He finally decided to take matters into his own hands. He called Natsu’s phone and was informed via an automated message that the number had been disconnected. He was more confused than ever. If he had really meant nothing to Natsu then why had he left him one of his most prized possessions. 

He wanted an explanation damnit, and he was going to get one. If he couldn’t get it from Natsu himself then he would just have to get it from the next best source. He made his way to the college’s Multicultural Center. He knew Natsu had hung out there with a group of other Japanese students, had even gone with him on a few occasions.They were likely to know more about his absence. He saw a group of Natsu’s friends seated at a table and approached them but none of them would answer any of his questions.

At a table further away from the group sat two men, one with blond hair and blue eyes, the other with longish black hair and reddish eyes. “Hey Rogue, isn’t that the guy Natsu was always talking about?”

Rogue only nodded as he chewed on his hair thoughtfully. “Natsu must have finally made his move before he left.”

“That’s kind of a dick move.” Sting opined.

“Don’t judge him so harshly, you don’t know his situation.” Rogue snapped absently as he kept watching the guy continue to pester his friends. “He’s a fool, they’re not going to tell him anything.” He looked away but continued to chew on his hair.

For the next week Rogue watched Gray show up at the Multicultural Center every day and continue to hound his friends. Rogue had considered calling Natsu to see what he wanted him to do but decided against it realizing Natsu was probably heartbroken enough as it was . The first few days Gray had seemed angry but today he seemed desperate. Rogue felt sorry for him but he was determined to stay out of it. 

He was talking with Sting as usual when he heard the metallic sound of a chair scraping the floor and saw Gajeel, the biggest and most intimidating of Natsu’s friends, grab Gray by the neck and aim his fist at the other’s face.

“Look, I’ve had just about enough of you showing up here and harassing us with your questions. Are you stupid? How long is it going to take for you to realize we’re not going to tell you anything. If Natsu wanted you to know the answers to your questions he would have told you himself.”

Rogue saw the defeated look on Gray’s face when he heard Gajeel’s words and finally decided to take action. He knew Sting would be facing a similar situation at the end of next year and he felt guilty that he had not told his boyfriend about his impending marriage yet. 

“That’s enough, Gajeel” Rogue said as he grabbed the older student’s fist. “I’ll handle this.”

Gajeel looked at Rogue as he tried to read the smaller man’s intentions but Rogue just met his stare. Gajeel let Gray go and glared at Rogue one last time, a warning for him to keep his mouth shut. Rogue turned to face the very persistent man Natsu had fallen in love with.

“Gray, right?” Rogue asked him pleasantly and when the other man nodded he added, “My name is Rogue. Come with me.” He motioned for Gray to follow him outside of the building.

“Do you know what happened to Natsu?’ Gray asked and the hope in his voice did things to Rogue’s heart that he did not want to acknowledge. He sighed wishing now that he had not gotten himself involved after all. He walked them over to a fountain that was nearby remembering that he had learned in one of his psychology courses that the sound of running water was calming. He sat down and waited for Gray to sit next to him.

“You need to let Natsu go, Gray.” Rogue said before Gray could begin with his questions, “He can never be yours. You’re only hurting yourself here.” He looked at Gray for a moment and his eyes were drawn towards the necklace the man was wearing. He instantly recognized its significance.

“I can’t just let him go” Gray protested “I --”

“Love him? Yes, you’ve made that much clear.” Rogue pointed at the necklace, “I can see he loved you too but whatever you two shared, it’s over now.”

“What are you talking about? I don't understand.”

“Look, Natsu has been promised to someone since he was 10 years old. They were supposed to marry after he graduated college but her father became ill so the wedding had to be moved up. Natsu tried to fight it but his father wouldn’t hear of it. He had to drop out of school and go back home. They were married yesterday. He is never coming back, Gray. Do you understand now?”

“Why didn’t he say anything?” Gray looked dazed by Rogue’s words.

“In our country we take honor very seriously. Natsu was not happy about the marriage but it was his duty and he was honor bound to do it. That’s why he never told you how he felt about you. He was determined not to hurt you. His father knows about his orientation, he allowed Natsu to go abroad for school as a way for him to have the freedom to live the way he wanted until it was time for the wedding but Natsu was never one for flings.”

“Gray, he would never want you to be unhappy because of him. You should really try to move on. ” Rogue patted Gray’s shoulder awkwardly. “I’ve told you everything I can, don’t come back here anymore.” He left him at the fountain and made his way back inside to his friends.

Gray must have sat at that fountain for hours thinking over everything Rogue had said. That was it then, Natsu was married to someone else and there was nothing he could do about it but accept it and move on. He couldn’t even find it in his heart to be angry at him anymore although that probably would have made him feel better. He got up and walked around the college until he was exhausted and then made his way to his room to sleep.

With time he did come to feel better. He thought about Natsu less and less. It was a little surreal to have him disappear after having spent so much time together. If it wasn’t for the necklace that hung around his neck it would almost be as if Natsu had never existed. 

At Lucy’s insistence Gray began to date again but none of the relationships lasted for long. His heart was never really in them and whenever things started to get serious, he broke it off. He graduated college and started working at an environmental firm focusing specifically on the design of sustainable environments. His work took him all over the world and Gray immersed himself in it until somehow five years had passed. In all that time he never took off Natsu’s necklace but lately he had begun to think it was time. Gray knew that while he allowed himself to wear it he would never give up on the man who gave it to him and he had to, as Rogue had tried to tell him all those years ago, he was only hurting himself.

o-o

Gray had just returned from a hellish trip to Germany. The clients had been difficult and the return flight had been delayed. Once they had finally gotten up in the air there had been engine trouble in flight that had caused them to make an emergency landing in Spain while they worked on the plane. By the time he had finally made it home he was jet lagged and cranky and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. He had finally lain down when there was a knock on his front door. He cursed his rotten luck and made his way downstairs to see who it was. He looked through the peephole and saw a slim white-haired woman looking at her phone and then at the number on his door. He was about to go back upstairs when his curiosity got the better of him.

He opened the door and looked at the woman to make sure he didn’t recognize her. She glanced at her phone and then at him. She began to smile but then instantly looked uncomfortable. She looked down at the ground.

“Would you mind putting on some clothes, please?’, the woman said.

Gray looked down at himself and realized to his embarrassment that he was in his underwear. He shrugged it off, he wanted to find out what this woman wanted with him as quickly as possible so that he could go back upstairs to get some sleep. 

“Sorry about that, I just came back from a business trip and I was about to go to bed.” he apologized but made no move to rectify the situation. “What can I do for you, Miss --?”

“My name is Lisanna Dragneel.” the woman said and she once again looked down at her phone before looking back up at Gray, “Are you Gray Fullbuster?”

Gray startled at the name he was given, too confused to be able to say anything. He nodded at the woman. 

Lisanna smiled at his reaction, she decided she would give him some time to collect himself. “I saw a coffee shop around the corner. Why don’t you meet me there once you’re dressed? We have a lot to talk about.”

Gray quickly agreed and closed the door. He made his way back to his bedroom in a daze, all manner of thoughts running through his mind. What could this woman want with him? He grabbed some clothes and quickly made his way to the coffee shop. Lisanna had already ordered and was sitting at a table waiting for him. He stood in line to order his coffee and used the time to calm himself down. Once his order was ready he walked over to her table and sat down.

“Lisanna Dragneel? Does that mean you’re Natsu’s wife?” Gray asked uncomfortably. 

“I’m his soon to be ex-wife actually.” Lisanna smiled at him and let those words sink in for a minute before continuing. “Natsu’s father passed away a few months ago and we’re in the middle of getting a divorce.”

Gray stared at Lisanna before asking, “What could you possibly want with me?” 

“I should probably explain a little. Natsu and I have known each other since we were children. We were very good friends. Even so, neither one of us wanted this marriage. It was hard for both of us to leave our lives behind to honor our parents wishes. For Natsu most of all for obvious reasons. Before we got married he told me about what happened between the two of you and how badly he felt about leaving you alone in that hotel. I’d honestly never seen him that upset before.”

Gray looked away, embarrassed that a total stranger knew something so intimate about him.

Lisanna laughed at Gray’s reaction, her big blue eyes twinkling with mirth. “Hey, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ve known about Natsu for years. I wish he had approached you earlier and let himself be happy, like I had suggested at the time, but I can understand why he didn’t. He was probably the smarter one out of the two of us. I was in a relationship for several years with a man that I loved. It was very hard for me to leave him behind to marry Natsu. I never stopped loving Bickslow, just as Natsu has not gotten over his feelings for you.”

“I tried to get Natsu to contact you as soon as we had agreed to the divorce but he’s being a stubborn idiot. Natsu believes that you have moved on from him and doesn’t want to make things awkward for you. I decided I would take matters into my own hands. All I had to go on was your name and the school you went to so I hired a private investigator to find you. He’s the one that gave me your address, I hope you don’t mind. ” 

Lisanna looked at Gray and pointed at the necklace he was wearing with a kind smile. “The fact that you’re wearing that makes me think he’s wrong and maybe you still have feelings for him as well. Do you know he used to wear it all the time when he was a kid?”

“I don’t understand, why would you do this for him? You’re his wife!” 

“I am his wife, but as I’ve already told you we never wanted to be married to each other. This is not a nasty divorce, Gray. I’m not here to try to set a trap for him. He’s giving me the freedom to go back to the life I had now that everyone that wanted us to be married is dead. I love Natsu, he’s my best friend, and I really feel that he deserves the same chance at happiness that he’s giving me, even if he’s too stubborn to go after it himself.”

“Gray, you have a choice to make.” Lisanna told him, “If you want to see him, I can give you everything you need to do so. If you don’t, no harm done, I’ll go back home and he’ll never know we talked.”

“Think about it?” Lisanna said seriously as she got up and hugged him. She handed him a business card attached to something. “Here’s my number, call me once you have made up your mind. My flight leaves today at 5 PM. I have to go do some shopping since I told Natsu that was the purpose of my trip.”

Gray watched her leave the coffee shop and get into the back of a black vehicle. He looked down at the card that was in his hand and saw that it was attached to a picture of Natsu dated only a month earlier. Gray looked at it hungrily, Natsu had not changed much physically in the last few years although his expression looked dimmer than it used to. Gray wondered if he was still at home asleep. Just that morning he had been thinking of taking the necklace off for good and now just like magic this woman had appeared at his front door to lead him to its owner. It seemed too good to be true and he wasn’t sure if he should trust her. He didn’t know what to do. He finally had his life in some semblance of order, did he really want to risk getting his heart broken all over again? Would he regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t? He sighed, he was way too tired to make any decisions at the moment. He walked back home and went to sleep after making sure to set an alarm.

He woke up several hours later feeling a little more refreshed. He immediately looked for the card Lisanna had given him worried that it had all been a dream. When he found it he held it in his hand and looked at the picture again, letting his mind wander. For the first time in a long while he allowed himself to really think about Natsu. He thought about all the times they had spent together as friends and of the one night of passion they had shared. When he finally made his decision he picked up the phone and dialed the number Lisanna had given him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N This chapter gave me a really hard time. I couldn’t decide how I wanted this to happen. It went through several variations, I think I am happy with this one, all the others were way too convoluted and I liked the idea of Lisanna trying to do something nice for Natsu. There will be one more chapter before it’s done. I’m visiting family for the week so I wasn’t planning on updating anything but I started this one before I left and I wanted to finish it so I could work on something different on the plane on the way home on Sunday. I have chapters for To Save A Dragon and How Writing Fanfiction Saved Me that I am working on so if you are reading either of those stories you have that to look forward to.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have received some negative comments on Gray’s character, specifically on this chapter, so I decided to add a little bit more to his headspace so that his change of heart does not seem quite so sudden. Hopefully that will help a little.

Disclaimer: All Fairy Tail Characters Belong To Hiro Mashima

Chapter 3

Gray sat in one of the plush seats of the private plane that was taking him and Lisanna to Tokyo. He couldn’t believe he was once again on a plane mere hours after arriving from his disastrous trip to Germany but he had known he might never get this chance again so he had decided to take Lisanna up on her offer before he chickened out.

He was on his way to finally see the man that he had waited to hear from for so many years and he was rather nervous as to how the whole thing was going to play out. Lisanna had assured him that he and Natsu would have the house to themselves as she was going to go stay with Bickslow and for this Gray was glad. He wasn’t sure if he could do what he planned with an audience. He managed to sleep for most of the 13 hour flight as he was still jet lagged from his previous trip and outside of some polite conversation Lisanna left him alone, perhaps sensing that he needed some time to sort out his feelings.

Once they had landed she had called Natsu to make sure he was home. Natsu and Lisanna lived in a penthouse in a building in Azabu, an expensive suburb in Tokyo. Lisanna had the driver drop them off there and asked him to wait for her to come back out. She got Gray through the building’s security, put him in the elevator and used her key to give him access to their apartment. She wished him luck and smiled as the elevator doors closed, happy that she had been able to do something for her friend/husband. She had always been a romantic and she had all sorts of visions in her head of how their reunion would go. She got back in the car and headed to Bickslow’s hotel.

The elevator doors opened inside of the apartment itself which was large and tastefully decorated. Gray stepped out and walked behind the elevator. He wanted to catch a glimpse of Natsu before he had to speak to him. He did not have long to wait. Natsu came out of a room and headed towards the elevator doors looking around for his wife.

‘Lis? Where are you?” Natsu called out, “Did you have a nice trip?”. He seemed surprised when he didn’t get an answer. “Lisanna?”

From behind the elevator column, Gray let himself really look at Natsu. He looked just as handsome as he remembered, although he was thinner. The confidence and joy that he had always exuded was gone, replaced by a hollowness that tore at Gray’s heart. He wished that things could have been different, he rather liked to think that the two of them could have made each other happy. He realized that it didn’t really matter anymore because out of all the myriad of emotions that he was feeling at seeing Natsu again the one that stood out the most was anger. He was actually surprised by just how much anger he still felt. He stepped out from behind the elevator where Natsu could see him.

“Gray?” a soft accented voice that he could still recognize anywhere called out in surprise. “Is that really you?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Gray replied as he hardened his heart against the hope and longing that he saw on Natsu’s face .

“But how?” Natsu asked, shocked to see someone he thought he would never see again.

“Your wife hired a private investigator to find me and then flew to Boston to talk me into coming to see you. She snuck me in here to surprise you.” Gray said. “She seems to be under the impression that you’re in love with me.”

Natsu stared at him sensing the anger that was hiding behind the civil words.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Gray asked, “Because I have waited for 5 years for you to say something to me.”

“I’m sorry.” Natsu said looking into Gray’s eyes.

“You’re sorry? That’s it?” Gray yelled and punched Natsu in the jaw, “What the hell, Natsu!”

“Of course not, I have a lot more I want to say.” Natsu said as he rubbed his cheek but made no move to retaliate, “But what would be the point? I can already see it’s too late. I never meant to hurt you, Gray. You have to believe me, I never wanted to hurt you.”

Gray pushed Natsu up against a wall roughly as he laughed mirthlessly, “That’s rich, you want me to believe you?”

“I did believe in you. That first week I let myself believe you were going to show up at my door. I’d even planned out what I was going to do. I was going to beat the crap out of you for leaving me like that and then I thought we would have amazing make up sex after. But you never came.”

Gray laughed bitterly. “I would have been satisfied with anything you know, a phone call, an email, hell I would have even taken a postcard. Anything that showed that you cared for me just a little. That you felt bad for leaving me after what was arguably the happiest night of my life.”

“But you never did, did you? Care for me, I mean. I was going to make my move that night. Did you know that? That’s why I asked you out, but you beat me to it and I was so happy. The guy I had been in love with all that time, liked me back.” Gray said softly although the tone of his voice quickly escalated back up to anger. “But then you left me there without even a note or a way to get in touch with you. I had to learn you had left from the security people at your apartment. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

“If you had told me what was happening that night I probably would have still slept with you, but it would have been my decision. I would have understood what I was getting myself into.”

Natsu heard the pain inherent in Gray’s voice and tried to interrupt, to say something that could express how much he regretted his actions. “Gray, I--”

“NO! It’s too late now. I came here for one reason. Here,” Gray took off the necklace that he had held on to all this time and tried to give it back to its owner. “you forgot this when you left.” When Natsu would not take it he placed it on a nearby table.

“I don’t know what you were trying to do when you left it with me but I don’t think you ever really understood it’s meaning and I can’t wear it anymore. I’m moving on Natsu, I deserve someone better than you.”

“You’re right. You do deserve someone better than me. You always did.” Natsu said as he looked at Gray sadly. He opened his mouth to say more but stopped.

Both men startled as the elevator doors opened to reveal Lisanna and a tall man who Gray assumed must be Bickslow.

“Hey Natsu! Are you decent? Did you like your surprise?” Lisanna asked excitedly. “I thought we could all go out to lunch to celebrate.”

“I did, I can’t believe you found him for me, Lis. Thank you.” Natsu hugged her and attempted to smile for her, understanding how much work she had put into trying to cheer him up. “Do you guys mind going without me? I’m feeling a bit tired.”

“Hey Bickslow.” Natsu said as he shook the tall man’s hand. He gestured towards Gray and introduced him. “This is Gray. Have a nice lunch! Excuse me.”

Natsu grabbed his necklace and disappeared into one of the apartment’s many rooms and closed the door behind him. Lisanna stared after him in confusion and then turned to Gray.

“What did you say to him?” Lisanna asked Gray with a menacing tone that seemed quite uncharacteristic for such a delicate looking girl.

Gray wasn’t sure what to say, he knew he had made it seem like he was coming to reconcile with Natsu but in all honesty he hadn’t been entirely sure of his intentions himself. He just knew that it was his chance to get closure and he was going to take it.

“You lied to me.” Lisanna was beyond angry, “This was supposed to cheer him up not make him worse. Don’t you think he’s been through enough?”

Gray looked at her in surprise. “Haven’t I?”

“Oh, boohoo. The guy you were in love with loved you so much that when he found out he would be forced to go home and get married one year early he couldn’t live with the idea of never being with you. Yes, he should have said something before he left. He felt terrible about it. But you know what? You have no idea what he’s been through. His mother and --”

“Lis” Bickslow interrupted with a warning in his voice. “Stop. Let’s go out to lunch. How about some sushi? Maybe we can show Gray around Tokyo for a little bit.”

“No, I’ll stay with Natsu.” Lisanna said as she continued to glare at Gray.

“Lis, he wants to be alone, just let him be.” Bickslow urged “He knows you care, that’s enough. If you stay he’s only going to be more upset.”

Lisanna’s resolve wilted. She knew Bickslow was right. She looked at the closed door worriedly and forced herself to leave the apartment with the other two men. Bickslow tried to keep up a conversation with Gray knowing that Lisanna was no longer in the mood to be hospitable.

Natsu waited for them to leave and went into his bedroom to pack a bag. Once he was ready he sat down at his desk and wrote two letters, one for Lisanna and one for Gray. Natsu put Lisanna’s letter in an envelope and wrote her name on it. He took his wedding ring off and put it on top of the divorce papers he’d received from the lawyer and had already signed. He got another envelope out, placed the second letter inside along with one of his business cards and wrote Gray’s name on it. He grabbed everything and put the envelopes on the coffee table in the living room where he thought they would be found along with the ring, the necklace and the divorce papers. He entered the elevator and made his way down to the parking garage. When the others returned he was long gone.

After a rather uncomfortable lunch, Lisanna and Bickslow had taken Gray sightseeing. He tried to feign interest in the places they were showing him but his mind was elsewhere. He was so confused. He had done it, he had finally gotten to talk to Natsu and told him everything he had been holding in since Natsu had left him all those years ago. So why did he still feel so unhappy? Why was it that he wanted to go back? Now that he had seen him, Gray realized he didn't want to let go of him again.

He kept thinking about that hollowness that Natsu had already exuded even before he had seen Gray and although he was certain that whatever it was had nothing to do with him, he didn’t like it and he also didn’t like that his outburst had probably made it worse.

He wondered what could have happened to Natsu to cause him to look that way and with some dismay realized that in all this time he had never given much thought to Natsu himself and why he’d felt the need to leave the way he did or how his situation would have affected him over the years. Gray had to admit that although his own feelings had been valid, maybe he had been a little selfish as well.

Lisanna and Bickslow finally suggested they return to the house, and Gray did not argue. The drive back to the apartment was quiet, all three of the passengers lost in their own thoughts. They arrived quickly and rode the elevator up to the penthouse.

Lisanna knew Natsu was gone from the moment she walked out of the elevator. The house just felt empty.

She saw his wedding ring on the table as well as the divorce papers.

“He’s gone.” Lisanna told the others and pointed them to the table. She was glad to finally have her freedom but a part of her felt terrible for leaving Natsu alone to deal with his grief. She at least had Bickslow to help her through it. They would be leaving for California at the end of the week and she had desperately hoped that Gray would be there for Natsu.

She opened her letter and began to cry as she read it

 

 

  
_Lis,_

_I’m really touched that you set out to find Gray for me. I know your intentions were good and I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way you’d hoped. Please don’t blame him, he has every right to feel the way he does. I am the one to blame, I was selfish and a coward._

_I signed the divorce papers, you’re a free woman as soon as you sign them. Please take anything you want from the house. You are welcome to take all the baby things, although I’ll understand if you don’t want them. I’ll make sure they get a good home. I wish you a happy life with Bickslow, he’s a great guy. Tell him to treat you right or he’ll have me to deal with, California is only a plane ride away ;)._

_You don’t have to worry about me anymore, I’ll be fine! I know neither one of us wanted this but I want you to know that if I had to be married to anyone, I’m glad it was you. You were a wonderful wife and mother and in my own way I loved you very much._

_I’m going to my dad’s house for a little while to clear my head, I promise I’ll call you guys up the minute I return. Please make sure Gray gets back to Boston safely. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me._

_With Love,_

_Natsu_

Bickslow wrapped his girlfriend up in a hug and tried to console her. He knew that it was going to be difficult for her to let go of Natsu. He was a good guy, Bickslow found that for as much as he’d wanted to hate Natsu in the beginning, he’d never been able to. He saw the other letter and turned towards Gray and said, “He left one for you too.”

Gray walked towards the coffee table and looked at the letter nervously, not sure whether he wanted to read it or not. He opened the envelope, figuring it would be stupid of him to not read the letter after how much he had complained about being left in the dark last time. He took out the letter and began to read.

 

 

_Gray,_

_I fell in love with you probably the first week I met you, but I knew I couldn’t do anything about it. I knew that if I was lucky enough to have you feel the same way, I would have to give you up at some point and I didn’t think I could do that. I had everything in the fucking world, except the one thing I wanted. Freedom. I had to marry Lisanna, there was no way around it. I think part of me always hoped that if I did everything he asked, my father would somehow see how miserable I was and change his mind about the marriage but he never did._

_I should have stayed home that night but I didn’t want to leave without seeing you one last time. I never planned for anything to happen but then I saw the way you stared at me when I picked you up and I just….that’s the first time I realized that you felt the same way about me and I wanted to feel what it would have been like before my freedom was taken away. I know it was selfish, I should have told you what was happening but I didn’t want to think about my situation anymore. There was nothing I could do to change it, from the next day on my life would no longer be my own but that night, that night was mine to do with as I pleased. It was the happiest night of my life. You have no idea how many times I think about it, not just the sex but everything about it. Not a day went by that I did not think of you. I’m sad to see how much anger you still have towards me but it’s no more than I deserve and I know that._

_I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you, You’re right, you do deserve better than me. Everything you said about me was true, save one. I am very well aware of what that necklace means. It was part of my selfishness that you wear it so that a part of me would always live happy with you. I wish I had been brave enough to tell you everything but I wasn’t. I can’t change that now. I leave the necklace behind, there’s no one else I would like to give it to. Feel free to do with it what you wish. I enjoyed all the time we spent together as friends and I am happy that I got to see you again. I have asked Lisanna to make sure you get back home safely._

_I don’t want to make the same mistake twice so I’ve enclosed one of my business cards. You can always reach me at any of the numbers or email listed on it. I would like to try to be friends again but I understand if you’d rather not. I missed you a lot all these years. Our talks, our arguments, hell I even missed our stupid fist fights. I’ve never met anyone else quite like you. Please say hi to Lucy and Loke for me if you can._

_Goodbye,_

_Natsu_

Gray read the letter a few times before putting it back down on the coffee table. He closed his eyes for a moment, he didn’t want the others to see his expression while he mulled over the contents of the letter. It contained everything he had wanted to know and now he had to ask himself whether it changed anything. Gray felt the business card in his hand and smiled. It was a start.

Natsu had missed him and wanted to be friends again. Gray felt the same, he might even still harbor feelings for him but that was not a bridge he was ready or willing to cross yet. For now, he just wanted to talk with his friend and try to rebuild what they used to have before Natsu’s abrupt departure. He tuned back in to the conversation once he had made the decision to stick around for a few days.

“Bickslow, he shouldn’t be alone right now.” Lisanna was saying with concern. “He’s writing goodbye letters. That can’t be good.”

“Lis, he’s just overwhelmed and sad.” Bickslow frowned, he didn’t want to say anything that would worry his girlfriend further but he was a bit concerned as well. “He just needs time to himself.”

“Please, I’m all he has left.” Lisanna said as she tried to convince her boyfriend that they needed to go after Natsu.

“That’s not true.” Gray spoke up . “He’s got me too.”

“Now you care?!” Lisanna said angrily. “Your outburst might be what pushes him over the edge!”

“I’ve always cared, Lisanna, I was just mad at him.” Gray said in earnest and asked the question that was now weighing on his mind. “Why is he like this? It’s not just because of me. He already looked defeated before he saw me, and he didn’t even retaliate when I punched him. That’s not like him at all. I agree with you, I think we should go find him.”

They headed out to Igneel’s house. In the car, Lisanna caught Gray up on all the things that had happened since Igneel had died.

o-o

Natsu stood on the small deck of the house. He watched the waves crash into the sand and let his mind wander back to the days when he and his brother Zeref used to play on that beach. They would spend hours swimming, making sand castles, chasing each other or looking for seashells and sand dollars under their mother’s watchful eye. If he closed his eyes he could almost see it. A bittersweet smile erupted on his face when he thought of his older brother.

Even though it was small Natsu had always loved this house, it was the one place he could remember where his family had been happy. His mother and brother had been alive and his father had not been obsessed with work. His father had wanted to sell it but Natsu had managed to talk him out of it. He had hoped to spend vacations here with his own family when his son was older but now that day would never come. He wondered what his son would have been like when he was older, would he have been stubborn and excitable like him or maybe sweet and cheerful like Lisanna? He knew he had to stop doing this, the more he allowed himself this type of fantasy the more depressed he got. He needed to let him go but it was so hard, it felt like a betrayal. He didn’t want to forget him.

There was a knock on the front door and Natsu sighed knowing he shouldn’t have told Lisanna where he was going, He made his way to the door somewhat annoyed at being interrupted.

“Lis, I appreciate you coming out to check up on me but I told you I would call you when I got back.” Natsu said as he opened the door. To his surprise he saw Gray standing there . His expression was unsure but he entered the house before Natsu could close the door on him.

“Gray? What are you doing here?” Natsu asked, “I thought you’d be at the airport by now.”

“I would have been here sooner but it turns out your dad had a lot of houses and it took Lisanna a while to remember this one.”

“What do you want?” Natsu asked confused. “You made your feelings quite clear.”

“Look, I know this is awkward but I’m still your friend and something is obviously wrong. Why don’t you tell me what it is? Maybe we can start there and try to make our way back.”

“Why are you here?” Natsu was glad to see him but he was in no mood to argue.

“Your letter. Well that and Lisanna can be pretty damn scary when it comes to you. I thought she was going to kill me when you left me alone with her and Bickslow.”

Natsu gave him a small smile. “She’s my oldest friend, she thinks it’s her job to take care of me. Thanks for stopping by but there’s really nothing anyone can do. I just have to grieve.”

“What’s so special about this house?” Gray asked. He couldn’t help but notice how different it was to all the others he had already looked through with Lisanna and Bickslow. “No offense but it seems a lot smaller than all the other ones.”

“This was the house where I grew up.” Natsu replied simply. “I lived here with my mother, father and older brother.”

“You have a brother? I don’t think you ever mentioned him.”

“I wouldn't have, he died when I was five. My mother died soon after and then it was just me and my dad.” Natsu talked, a faraway look in his eyes. He made his way back out to the deck and Gray followed him out. He stood next to Natsu and just let him talk.

“My dad couldn’t live in this house anymore, I guess it was too painful to live with their memories. So he and I moved closer to the city. Soon after his business started to take off and then he was mostly gone too. He was always away on business. I guess it gave him something else to think about. Through all his hard work we became rather wealthy and moved to Tokyo. My aunt moved in with us to take care of me. My dad wasn’t a bad guy and he did love me. I just reminded him of them I think. When I finally got the nerve to tell him I was gay he took it pretty well, even if he wasn’t willing to undo the marriage arrangement. I was still the only son and I had the responsibility to provide an heir. It was his idea for me to study abroad, I think he figured I would get the gayness out of my system or something. He even bought me an apartment so I could be discreet.” Natsu laughed affectionately at that. “He could be a thoughtful old bastard when he wanted to be.”

“Of course that plan broke the window after I met you. There was no one else for me after that. You have no idea how much Lisanna hounded me to ask you out.” Natsu chuckled. “She was already dating Bickslow and I think she felt guilty that I was alone.”

Gray smiled at Natsu’s misuse of the phrase. He’d missed hearing him mangle the English language.

“Why didn’t you just say no to the marriage?” Gray asked.

“How could I? I was all he had left.” Natsu exclaimed. “The best I could do was to get it postponed until we finished college.”

“You know it’s funny, I understand him so much better now that I’ve lost everything too. I feel so empty.”

“What are you talking about? You haven’t lost everything.”

“I lost my brother, my mother, my father and my son. Lisanna is one step closer to moving away and now that you’ve made it clear that you want nothing to do with me that’s done too. I don’t care about the business, I always hated it. All it ever did was take my dad away from me. I don’t even care about the money. All I want is to feel like I did when we all lived here, even if only for a few minutes.”

Silent tears fell on his cheeks and Gray grabbed him and held him as he cried. “I miss him so much, Gray.”

Gray ran his fingers through Natsu’s hair and rubbed his back. “I’m sorry, Lisanna told me about your son. I can’t even imagine how that must feel.”

Gray took a deep breath and looked Natsu in the eyes. “You haven’t lost me, Natsu. I’m still here.” He kissed Natsu’s lips gently.

Natsu pushed him away. “The last thing I need from you is pity.”

Gray grunted in frustration. “It’s not pity. Look, I was angry and hurt! I had a lot of things that I had bottled up for the last five years that I needed to get off my chest, but you didn’t help matters either. Until I read that letter I had no idea what was going through your head. The truth is I have tried to be with other people but I always break it off before it gets anywhere because…. well, because they’re not you. I think I understand the situation you were in better now, and while you’re still an asshole for leaving the way you did, I get it. I forgive you, Natsu. I’d like to be friends again.”

“You don’t want me now, Gray. I’m no good to anyone, I’m broken.” Natsu said honestly.

“Why don’t you let me decide what I want for once.” Gray chided. “I know you’re broken, Natsu, but I’m not exactly whole myself these days. Why can’t we fix each other?”

“Let’s start small, why don’t we go get some takeout and you can tell me all about him. What was his name?”

Natsu nodded and as they made their way towards his car he began to talk

“His name was Hiroyuki, it means lots of happiness in Japanese. We named him that because that’s how he made us feel,” Natsu told him. “We called him Yuki.”

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A//N I know it’s not a fluffy ending, but I like it and I hope you do too. Silver I think I owe you another story. This one did not at all come out the way I intended for you. I don’t know what happened. I hope you at least like it.


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: All Fairy Tail Characters Belong to Hiro Mashima.

Epilogue:

They spent the rest of the day talking, catching up on each other’s lives. Gray held Natsu in his arms whenever he became overwhelmed and Natsu listened quietly as Gray told him about his job and about Lucy and Loke, whom he was still friends with.

The next day Natsu had shown Gray around the town he had grown up in and they had spent some time at the beach. The following day it was time for Gray to return to Boston and Natsu drove him to the airport. Gray made him promise to call if he got too sad.

At first, Natsu resisted but once Lisanna and Bickslow had left the overwhelming sense of loneliness had hit him hard. He began to call Gray at least once a week. Their conversations lasted hours. Natsu’s depression began improving slowly and he began to see a therapist.

Four months after Gray’s trip to Japan his work had him traveling to South Korea. He called Natsu and asked him if he would like to visit him there as he would be staying for at least two weeks. Natsu agreed, excited by the prospect as he had never traveled much. He flew to South Korea for the weekend and they sightsaw and tried all sorts of different foods. They had such a good time that Gray began to make it a habit to invite Natsu on any long trips he had. Natsu would go as often as he could, he was still in charge of his father’s business and it wasn’t always possible for him to get away.

Gray found it harder and harder to see Natsu leave at the end of these trips. There was no more denying his feelings, he was still in love with Natsu and he wanted to try dating him. He was getting ready to call him and talk to him about it when his phone rang. He saw it was Natsu from the caller ID and smiled.

“Hey Natsu, what’s up?” Gray spoke into his phone.

“Gray! I did it!” Natsu said excitedly.

“Did what?”

“I sold the business. I signed all the papers today. I need to stay for a few months to get the new owners up to speed but I’m going to start selling all my assets and move to California as soon as I’m done. I’ve already started paperwork for the visa. ” 

“You’re moving to California? Why not Boston? You already have an apartment here.” Gray said while thinking that more importantly he was in Boston.

“Uhm, I didn’t want you to think that I was assuming or expecting anything from you but more importantly I want to live near the beach again. The beaches in Massachusetts are a bit too cold for my liking. Plus Bickslow agreed to sponsor me.”

“What if I wanted you to?” Gray asked quietly.

“Wanted me to what, move to Massachusetts?” Natsu asked not sure what Gray meant.

“Assume and expect things from me. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, I… I still have feelings for you. I want us to try dating.”

There was a long silence on the other line that was making Gray panic. “I don’t think this is a conversation we should be having over the phone.” Natsu said seriously. “Can you fly out to see me sometime soon? I can’t really leave the country right now but I can send the plane for you.”

Gray looked at his upcoming schedule on his calendar app with frustration. He was booked solid for the foreseeable future but Monday was a holiday. “If you have the plane waiting at Logan * at 5 on Friday I might be able to make it this weekend since Monday is a holiday. Other than that I’m stuck here for the next few months.”

“Consider it done.” Natsu said cheerfully. “I’ll see you this weekend!” He hung up the phone. He had been surprised by Gray’s words but he was also cautiously optimistic. He had been thinking along the same lines for a while now but had felt that he should let Gray be the one to make the first move this time. It would be a short visit but more than enough time for them to talk. He waited impatiently for the weekend to arrive.

In the end they both agreed to date but decided not to officially start until Natsu was Stateside. They would give it one year and if they were still together Gray would move to California. There were plenty of job opportunities for a sustainability engineer all over the state, including some transfer opportunities within the company he already worked for. Gray had already looked. That night they shared a bed content to hold each other while they slept. Gray couldn’t have been happier when Natsu was still snoring next to him when he woke up the following morning.

The day finally came when Natsu arrived at LAX *. He was met by Lisanna, Bickslow and Gray. He would be living with Lis and Bix temporarily while he had a house built. Natsu and Gray had their first date that very night as they explored the large city. They were still as infatuated with each other as they had been in college but now they could show it. They did not even last a year, Gray had already moved in with Natsu by their sixth month of dating once the house was finished and within the year they were married. Gray somehow talked the extravagant Natsu into an intimate ceremony that was only attended by their close friends. They were extremely happy, their free days were full of adventure and their nights full of passion.

When Lisanna announced she was pregnant Gray worried that this might spiral Natsu back into a depression about Yuki but he took it rather well. He was excited for his friends and gave Bixlow lots of advice on how to deal with Lisanna during her pregnancy when she was out of earshot. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that they named Mirajane. Natsu and Gray became her godparents.

Weekends, Natsu and Gray would visit Mira regularly, bringing her presents and watching her so Lisanna could get some rest or go out on dates. Gray saw the longing in Natsu’s eyes whenever he looked at Mira and although he never said anything to Gray about wanting a child, Gray began to seriously consider whether he was ready for one. He began to look into adoption and surrogacy, not wanting to get Natsu’s hopes up before he knew what they were up against.

On their second wedding anniversary they drove up to San Francisco for the weekend. They checked into their hotel late and began making out the minute the door of their room closed behind them. Gray stopped kissing Natsu long enough to breathlessly ask if he wanted to get pregnant. Natsu looked at him confused but forgot all about it as he was distracted by Gray’s hands and mouth. Their lovemaking intensified and they moved to the bed. Once they were done Gray reminded Natsu that he’d never answered his question.

He brought out all the pamphlets that he had collected from his suitcase and showed them to his husband. Natsu looked through all of them in a daze but it wasn’t until he saw the certainty and love on Gray’s face that he was sure. They decided to go with a surrogate and Gray grinned as he’d anticipated the decision and had already scheduled some interviews for when they returned. Even though he had wanted the child to be Natsu’s biologically, Natsu had been against it preferring they use Gray’s sperm. Gray didn’t pry but he assumed it had something to do with Yuki so he agreed.

“That’s the best present anyone’s given me.” Natsu smiled dreamily already thinking about the future. “I didn’t get you anything as good.”

“Hmm. I think you can make it up to me.” Gray smiled lazily as he admired how beautiful Natsu looked when he was truly happy. “You can try and make me pregnant.” Gray grinned.

Natsu chuckled. “You are such an idiot.” He climbed on top of his husband and said “Gladly!” as he slowly and tortuously brought them both to a state of utter bliss.

“I did have a present for you.” Natsu said shyly. “Gray, you are the most important person in the world to me and I’m glad that we found our way back to each other. It would mean a lot to me if you would wear this again,” He brought out the sword necklace that Gray had left behind in Tokyo. In the past it had been a symbol of Natsu’s love for Gray at a time when it was all he could give Gray of himself, but now it was proof, just as much as their wedding rings, that Natsu’s heart belonged to Gray.

Gray looked at the necklace as he would an old friend and he let Natsu put it around his neck. “I’ll never take it off again.” he said seriously as he embraced his husband and peppered him with kisses.

Time passed and they ended up having two children, a boy and a girl. They used the same surrogate for both liking the idea that their children would have the same mother, and Natsu agreed to father the second one. 

When their children were six and four, Natsu and Gray took them on a family vacation back to Japan so that they could discover some of their heritage. They stayed at the little house where Natsu had lived as a boy. It was the one piece of property he had not been able to make himself sell. He and Gray sat in the sand and watched their children play as Natsu and Zeref had before them. Natsu smiled and closed his eyes, his dream finally fulfilled. He looked at his small family and realized he had never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N For the first time in one of my stories they actually live happily ever after. Hooray! Here is the Epilogue no one asked for but I wrote anyway for reasons….. basically things are coming down the pipeline in my other stories and I need a happy place to put them in for now. Enjoy it if you will or humor me if you don’t. Either way it’s done.
> 
> * Also... Logan International is the name of the airport in Boston, MA while LAX is the airport in Los Angeles, CA.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N Silver - I hope you like it. I thought I’d cheer you up with a random Gray/Natsu update. Now you know what that picture was for *giggle*.


End file.
